Biting Off More Than She Can Chew
by ChinaDollMaiden
Summary: A box of Kittens suddenly shows up on Sakura's doorstep, and guess who they really are? You guessed it, The Akatsuki! Follow Sakura on her epic struggle of learning to take care of cats! DeiSaku. DeidaraXSakura
1. Surprise!

**Hello!! I got bored, so I decided to look up Akatsuki and Cats in the same search engine, and I saw a lot where the Akatsuki are all cats and live in some Konoha girl's house. Made me wanna make one. So I did!**

**I'm not gonna reveal the reason why they are cats until later.**

**Because I don't have a reason yet.**

**But I'll come up with one! Just you wait!**

**And this is my very first non M-rated story! Yaaaay!**

***celebrate***

**So here we go!**

**DISCLAIMER: MasaKishi owns the Akatsuki and all their whiskers.**

* * *

"Huh...what's this? I wasn't expecting a package any time soon..." a very confused Sakura said while picking up said box. She jumped and almost dropped it when in squirmed. The box itself was rather large, and the kunoichi struggled to fit it inside the door.

It has several large holes poked into it. Faint breathing could be heard from within. She opened the door, which was tricky when trying to hold a giant box in the other hand. Afterward, she set the large cardboard box on the table, and proceeded to open it.

Out tumbled nine adorable kittens.

She picked up one by it's scruff as it thrashed about wildly in the air, waking the sleeping kittens with the racket. They mewled loudly in protest as Sakura scopped them all into her arms and brought them to her bedroom.

She studied them carefully. One was brown with oddly placed stripes, and had eerie lime green eyes. There was an unusually familiar cat with red, messy fur and chocolate brown eyes. It seemed tense at the very sight of her.

Then there were the two orange cats. One was a dark, burnt orange with strange black speckles on his face and ears and curious stormy gray eyes, and the other was orange with stripes that looked strangely like a whirlpool.

A Russian blue kitten sat, looking the girl up and down. At first glance, his eyes were an icy white. But if you would look closer, they would appear a rich gold. An odd color change. Next to him sat a glossy black cat with red eyes.

There was one silvery white cat who wore a collar around his neck with a pendant of something that looked rather religious. His eyes were a stunning vivid magenta. Off in the corner sat a stoic cat who was split quite evenly, black and white with the same yellow eyes the Russian blue had.

One small kitten, however, caught her eye. He was a brilliant gold color with strong features. His eyes were blue as the sky, and they drew Sakura in. He sat patiently, watching as the kunoichi inspected the odd group.

"I suppose if I'm goign to keep you all, I should name you."

The names were as followed: The black and white cat was Oreo, the orange whirlpooled cat was Swirly, the brown was Stitches, the angry red cat was Elmo, the Russian blue was Blue, the entirely black was Crow, the silver cat was Snowy, the darker orange cat was Meanie, on account of his nasty temper, and finally, the gold cat was named Goldie.

Elmo seemed eve angrier at her for his chosen name. She still didn't quite understand why he despised her so.

Sakura glanced down as Swirly began rubbing against her shins and purring loudly. She smiled sweetly, scooping him up and bringing him to the kitchen. She brought out several small dishes and filled them with milk. She really had no idea what else to feed them.

At the sound of the liquid pouring into a bowl, most of the kittens came out of hiding and eagerly lapped up the cold milk. Others were a bit more hesitant. Those being Meanie, Crow, Elmo, and Stitches.

The grandfather clock across the room sounded loudly, alerting Sakura that it was half past eleven at night. She yawned sleepily, and watched over the kittens as one by one, they all got some milk in their bellies.

After, she made her way to her bedroom, crawling under the large duvet. A blizzard was raging on outside, and she set the furnace up. Blue leaped up onto the bed with her, curling up at the crook of her knee. Swirly took to sleeping beneath her arms, and the other seven curled up near the foot of the bed. Sakura drifted off to sleep.

~*~

The kittens all opened their eyes, comfirming that the unknown human was asleep. They all gathered on the cold floor. **(A/N: From now on, I'll refer to them all as their real names.)**

They all gathered around Pein (Meanie) and awaited his word.

"How much longer do we have to stay like this, hm?" Deidara (Goldie) whined.

"Be patient, Deidara. This jutsu will last a long time, but it can be temporarily reversed when we touch water." Pein replied.

"I hate being a cat. Cats are my natural enemies." Kisame (Blue) hissed.

"Pein. Just how long will this jutsu last?" Sasori (Elmo) deadpanned.

"The maximum time is 2 years."

"TWO YEARS!? Goddamn, I don't know if I can take two fucking HOURS!" Hidan (Snowy) yowled.

"Tobi likes being a kitty cat!" Tobi (Swirly) mewed cheerfully.

Itachi (Crow), Zetsu (Oreo), and Kakuzu (Stitches) glared at Tobi and said nothing.

"Well, as long as we're here, we might as well take it easy." Sakura shifted in her sleep, and they scattered nervously. "But we must keep our identities a secret from the girl for as long as possible."

They all nodded, returning to their positions on the bed.

~*~

When Sakura woke, sunlight was streaming from her bedroom window. She shot up, hurrying to get dressed. She was supposed to be at work before sunrise!

Sakura skipped the shower, grabbing an apple and shoving it in her mouth before racing out the door and down the streets of Konoha, leaving behind nine VERY confused felines.

"Pein, can we be human now?" Kisame complained. Pein nodded, and they all raced for the nearest sink or bathtub. Water streamed from the spouts, dousing the men.

Kisame wasted no time in raiding Sakura's fridge. Sasori decided to explore the house.

_'For a girl, her house is rather plain.'_ He thought to himself, examining a clean white wall. He stepped warily into her bedroom. He advanced toward her bedside table, opening the drawers. In the bottom, a few kunai, shuriken, some senbon here and there, three syringes, gauze rolls, ointments, disinfectants, and other medical supplies.

He opened the middle drawer. Precious metals and gemstones scattered over the bottom, and in the back, a large black comb with intricate designs of flowers.

The top was puzzling to him. At first it seemed empty, but he reached further back and felt a picture frame. He pulled it out, revealing a picture of her, the son of the Konoha White Fang, the Kyuubi vessel, and one other. At the last boy's face, the glass was broken and his face was scratched out. He could only assume it was Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke.

Finding nothing of interest in her room, he sauntered into the living room. Deidara was currently smacking Tobi over the head, Kakuzu was angrily counting what little money he had left, and Hidan was desperately looking for his Jashin trinket.

He walked into the kitchen, where Kisame was greedily consuming several slices of bread. Across the table, Zetsu had found a slab of raw beef. Pein sat at a table by the window, a cup of tea in one hand as he stared out the thin glass. Itachi was nowhere to be seen.

Sasori grunted, still adjusting to his human body. He had forgotten the feeling of blood rushing through the veins. Everyone eventually sat. Just kinda...waiting...for Sakura to return.

"I don't suppose any of you know the girl's name?" Pein droned.

They all shook their heads but Sasori.

"Sakura." he said. They all looked at him. He glared. "What? Think I would forget the name of the little bitch who killed me?" In response, they all sighed, shaking their heads.

~*~

One by one, they had reverted back to their kitten form. They remained that way, cuz hell, they didn't know when Sakura got home from work. She could walk in the door any minute now. Which is exactly what she did.

Sakura trudged in, locking the door behind her. She dragged her feet to the couch, flopping down so that she was on her back and stretched over, her feet handing from the armrest. Coats, scarves, and boots lay sprawled in a trail behind her. She jumped as Tobi meowed loudly at her.

"Jeez, I almost forgot about you guys." She got up, her legs crying in protest, and she filled the bowls with milk again. She collapsed on the couch once again, rubbing her temples.

Surprisingly, Pein was the first to jump up on the couch with her. He settled on her stomach, tucking his paws under his chest. she scratched behing his ears, earning a hearty purr. Tobi followed his example, curling up on top of her feet. Hidan, being the pervert that he is, stretched himself out of her chest, smirking in a catty way.

Sakura was pinned down.

Deidara skidded to a halt in front of the couch, leaping up and rubbing on her face. It felt feverishly warm. His ears twitched, and he raced into the closet. He dragged out a blanket, and with some effort, he tossed into the hand of his 'owner.'

"That's one smart ass cat."

After adjusting the blanket, all the cats clawed their way onto the couch, and even Elmo curled up in the crook of her knees.

They fell asleep.

* * *

**Aw. I thought that chapter was cute. How 'bout you guys?**

**Just so you know, this IS a DeiSaku story, so Deidara's gonna need more involvement.**

**NAO.**

**Bye bye!**

**~China**


	2. Gone

**Hey hey hey! It's FAAAAT CHINA! Lol WTF.**

**If any of you guys can guess how many cats I have, you win a muffin. (No, it's not nine. I'll give you a hint: it's more than 3)  
**

**Not just ANY muffin. A FLYING muffin.**

**I'm sorry it took so long to update. My computer crashed, wiping out all my files.**

**Sorry.  
**

**I really like Pein now. He is mega hot. And his eyes...SQUEE.**

**Still love Deidara more, though.**

**And Hidan cracks me up with all his swearing. And love of violence.**

**In other words, I LOVE AKATSUKI!!!**

**And you guys, if this is too much drama and sadness for chapter two, let me know. I tend to do these kinds of things.  
**

**Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: MasaKishi STILL owns Sasuke's dumb ass. If you ask me, MasaKishi should just kill the bastard now, while he still has the chance.**

* * *

Sakura cracked open her eyes and almost screamed. Nine naked, sleeping men covered her. No wonder she couldn't breathe.

She whimpered and struggled, waking Hidan, who had his face buried in her chest. He panicked a bit, kicking Pein behind him accidentally. This caused a chain reaction. It went as follows.

Sakura struggled, waking Hidan, who kicked Pein, who kicked Tobi, who smacked Kisame, who yelled in Sasori's ear, who rolled on top of Kakuzu, who kicked Zetsu, who clawed Itachi, who knocked Deidara off the couch. (:D)

"Ow, un!" Deidara moaned as he clutched his bleeding nose. He looked at his hands. "We're human?"

"It would seem so." Pein comfirmed.

"What the hell are you people doing in my house!?" Sakura screeched. Itachi appeared behind her.

"Haruno-san, please calm down." Sakura jumped.

"How the hell can I calm down when there are NINE NAKED AKATSUKI MEN IN MY HOUSE!?" she yelled, backing up against a wall. "At least put some clothes on or something!"

The men looked around for some makeshift clothing. They settles on towels wrapper around their waists. Pein sat calmly before the panicky kunoichi. The others sat after him.

"Miss Sakura-"

"Just Sakura. You make me feel old, calling me that."

"_Sakura_, as you know, just minutes ago, we were all kittens. That's because a curse was placed on us." he explained. Sakura nodded in understanding.

"I see. What I don't understand, though, is why you're in MY house."

"That, we don't know." Sakura sighed.

"Ok, let's see if I can recognize you all." she stared closely at Pein. "You're Meanie!" A vein popped in Pein's head, but he nodded.

"Oreo!" pointing at Zetsu.

"Swirly!!" pointing at Tobi. Tobi smiled sweetly, though she couldn't see it through his mask.

"Elmo. Wait, why are you still alive? Didn't I kill you?" Sasori growled at his rediculous name.

"Revival Jutsu." he asnwered simply.

"Ok...there goes all my hard work. Let's see...Stitches, Blue, Crow..." pointing to Kakuzu, Kisame and Itachi. "Snowy...and Goldie. Am I right?"

They all nodded simultaneously. She grumbled to herself, groaning as she buried her face in her knees.

**Pop.**

Zetsu has reverted back to his adorable furry cat form.

"I suppose I can't call you by your cat names anymore." Sakura concluded.

**Pop.**

**Pop.**

**Pop.**

Hidan, Tobi, and Kisame reverted back. They hissed angrily (except Tobi) and washed their paws.

"Pein, how much longer does this curse last?" Sakura drawled wearily.

"It can last up to two years." He said, bracing himself for an outburst. Sakura abruptly stood, shutting herself in the bathroom, cathing the mens' attention. They all flinched when a loud crash and glass hitting the floor was heard. Sakura returned with bloody knuckles.

"I see. Two years is quite a while. How long have you been under the curse so far?"

"A-about a week." pein stuttered. Damn. Sakura grabbed something large and sturdy, breaking it with a single flick of the wrist.

"Goddamn." she growled. "Give me one good reason NOT to just hand you in to Tsunade-sama." she threatened. Tobi was the first to break. He bounded to a sink, transforming himself.

"Please, Sakura-chan! Tobi doesn't want to die!" he said, throwing himself at her feet. She looked down at Tobi, and her eyes softened. Hidan began rubbing himself against her legs, meowing hopefully. Sasori reluctantly followed. Kisame jumped onto the couch arm so that he could reach her hand.

Zetsu just sat there looking pitiful, while Kakuzu sat silently, not uttering a single syllable.

Suddenly, Deidara flung himself at Sakura, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Please, Sakura!" he cried, on the brink of tears. Pein merely looked at the floor.

They all looked at her, hope in their eyes. Even Sasori looked desperate.

She glanced down at Tobi. His arms were cast around both her legs, his cheek pressed against her shins. Pein almost visibly shuddered.

She looked down at Deidara. His face was buried in her flat stomach, his long hair undone and cascading messily down his shoulders.

She felt ashamed. To make a grown man cry, let alone a grown Akatsuki man, made her feel like a cruel bitch.

And now that she thought about it, the Akatsuki was pretty much a group of normal people.

She gently placed her hand on top of Deidara's head. He lifted his face, his eyes beginning to water and turn pink. She sighed.

"Alright. You can stay."

Deidara laughed, burying his face again, hugging her tighter. They all jumped up, embracing Sakura.

She just hoped she wasn't making a mistake.

~*~

Sakura sat up in her bed, awaken to a delicious smell. She lazily tossed back the heavy blankets, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She followed the luscious scent to the kitchen, where Itachi was cooking breakfast.

"Ah! SAKURA-CHAN'S AWAKE!!" Tobi announced. He launched himself over the table, bowling her over. She squeaked in surprise as the air was knocked from her body. She gasped for air as Deidara dragged Tobi off of her. Pein helped her up and lead her to an unoccupied chair.

"I always knew such a large table would come in handy some day." she yawned. A plate with a large stack of pancakes was set infront of her. She drooled at the vision before her. Pancakes were a weakness of hers. Dangle a few in front of her, and she'll go wild.

"How did you know I love pancakes!?" she squealed, stabbing a fork into the hot food.

"Everyone loves pancakes, Sakura-chan!" Tobi said. Sakura agreed, nodding her head as she bit into another fork full of cakes.

A hand holding a fork reached across the table, stealing a bite of her pancakes. Before they could leave her plate, she attempted to gain them back. She reached for the hand, but it was too late. The man had already eaten the stolen bite. She growled angrily, looking up to see a smug Deidara. He reached over for another bite, but Sakura swung her fork down, aiming for his fingers. Deidara was lucky he had such good reflexes.

He gaped at her, clutching his hand to his chest.

"You almost stabbed me in the hand, yeah! You crazy bitch!" he shouted.

She scowled. "That was the idea." They glared at each other all through breakfast until Pein broke it up.

"Let's act like _adults_, shall we?" he reasoned.

"Tell him that, not me." she hissed.

"Now, now Sakura-_chan._ Shouldn't you be heading off to work, yeah?" he teased. She shot out of her chair, causing it to fall over. She looked at the clock. Sure enough, she was two hours late.

"Shit!" she tore through the house, skipping her shower. She was soon ready in her winter medic outfit, which consisted of a white pencil skirt that reached mid thigh. Under that, she wore thick white stockings. Her white blouse was a button up long sleeve, and her boots were long, white leather. She grabbed her bag from the table, making a few handsigns and transporting herself the the hospital.

~*~

Tsunade paced back and forth, in front of a critical condition patient's room. Sakura came sprinting down the halls.

"Tsunade-sama! I'm sorry I'm la-" she was cut off by a very pissed Sannin.

"You'd better have a good excuse for this!!!" she roared. Sakura winced, shaking her head. Tsunade sighed, disappointed. "Just get in there and treat the damn patient." she ordered, stomping away to find sake.

Sakura opened the door to see a heavily injured Naruto. She skidded to a halt beside his bed.

"What happened!?" she wiped the blood from his forehead.

"The dumbass somehow hit _himself_ with the Rasen-shuriken."

There was one hole in his abdomen where a shuriken was driven deep in, and lay in his stomach. She began healing his stomach while gradually removing the shuriken. With one final yank, it was free, and she closed up the wound. After spending one and a half hours healing Naruto, Sakura stepped out of the room, wiping the sweat from her brow. A nurse intern came racing down the corridor to reach me.

"Sakura-sama! Your mother is going into labor!" Sakura froze. She poofed herself to her mother's delivery room. A piercing scream filled the room as a contraction hit.

"Mama!" Sakura rushed to her mother's side, holding her hand. Her mother's brow furrowed and she yelled.

"Stop!" The doctor looked up. "I...want my daughter...to deliver this baby." she gasped, determined. The doctor slowly nodded and moved aside for the petite girl. Another scream tore through her mother's throat.

"Ok, on three, I want you to push. One..." her mother gripped onto the doctors' hands

"...two..." she braced herself.

"...THREE!"

A bloodcurdling cry of pain erupted from the small woman's lips.

"One, two...three!" the baby was nearing.

"One more push! One! Two!! THREE!!" She shrieked and the baby exited her body.

"It's a girl!"

As Sakura began to gently dry the purple and blue body, she gasped.

Stillborn.

"Mama...I'm so sorry." her mother cracked open one eye. "She's dead." Her mother shook her head in dismissal.

"I know it's not your fault, Sakura-chan." the woman shuddered and the color left her body. "Just promise me you won't cry too much...?" she pleaded.

"Mama, what do you...mama?" The woman let tears escape past her thick lashes.

"Stay strong." she gasped in pain. "I love you...my little Sakura."

"Mama...Mama! MAMA!!!!"

One final breath racked the pale woman's body.

She was gone.

Sakura wailed into her mother's lifeless hands.

She was _gone_.

~*~

Deidara was curled up asleep, next to Tobi. His head shot up.

Something didn't seem right.

The door creaked open, and Sakura entered the small house. She dragged her feet, making her way towards her bedroom. The other kittens woke up and got a bad vibe coming from the girl. Sakura reached her room, flinging herself onto the bed.

The nine Akatsuki cats sat in the kitchen, listening to Sakura's heartbreaking sobs. They all scattered when a knock at the door echoed through the house.

"W-who is it..." Sakura sniffled.

"It's me, Tsunade." Tsunade's usual powerful, booming voice was reduced to a calming breath.

"It's unlocked."

The door slowly clicked open, letting the fifth in. She stepped into Sakura's large room.

"I heard." She whispered, placing a hand on Sakura's back. Tsunade stood up, closing the door. Tobi crept up to door, placing his ear against the giant plank of wood. The voices were muffled, but he understood them.

"She's gone. She's _gone._" Sakura sobbed.

"I'm sorry Sakura."

"She's always been there for me. _Always_! And now..." Sakura broke off in another bout of tears.

"Shhh, don't speak, Sakura. Just let it out."

Sakura obeyed, letting the tears stain her sheets. She sat up, leaning on Tsunade.

"I know it's not what you want to talk about right now...but, when do you want your mother's funeral to be?"

Tobi's ears flattened. He raced back to the group, which was waiting for him to report back.

"Sakura-chan's mommy died!" he mewed sadly. Deidara looked over, shocked. Hidan looked at his paws. Sasori's ears angled toward Tobi, and he glanced emotionless.

"I see." Pein said.

Moonlight streamed through the window, hitting the kittens.

**Pop.**

"Why are we human?" Sasori wondered. His eyes widened in panic. "WHY ARE WE HUMAN!?" he whispered, only loud enough for the others to hear.

"It must be the moonlight. As soon as it touched us, we changed back." Zetsu croaked. Suddenly, they realized how dire the situation was.

"We have to hide!!!" Pein said, crawling into an enormous closet. "There's just barely enough room for all of us! C'mon!" Hidan was the first to object.

"There's no fucking way I'm getting in a damn closet with eight other naked men!"

They heard Sakura's bedroom door creaking.

"Except this time. MOVE out of the fucking way, blondie!" They piled into the now crowded closet, masking their chakra. Tsunade came out of the room, a sad look on her face. Her heels clicked on the floor, and the sounds finally made their way out the door.

The nine men all tumbled out from the cramped closet noisily, hoping the Hokage didn't hear the noise from down the hall.

"So that's where you've been hiding." Sakura said pitifully. Tobi picked himself up and enveloped Sakura in a bear hug.

"Tobi is sorry for listening to Sakura-chan and Hokage-chama's conversation! Tobi is a good boy!!" he wailed. She tensed.

"You heard that...huh?" she said, looking down to the tiled floor.

"Is Sakura-chan mad?" he questioned. Sakura shook her head.

"I s'pose you would've found out sooner or later..." she said, tearing Tobi's arms from around her and heading for the couch.

Sakura was a strange girl. When she found herself to be down, she'd play a video game.

In this case, Silent Hill 4.

She sat through the long cutscene of watching a hooker named Cynthia complaining about how she felt like puking, then stumbling into the bathroom. The player, Henry, leaned against a wall waiting. The door began to open, but then some half-dead creature came flying from the door.

Two more of the same creatures, which had strange long tongues that dragged on the floor, came and began slurping it's contents. Henry readied his weapon, striking a creature. It let out a shrill, pig-like squealing and growled. He hit it once more, watching as it writhed in pain on the concrete floor. He stomped on it, forcing out a panther-like roar.

The Akatsuki watched her play with sick amusement. Tobi whimpered, covering his eyes in the couch fabric and plugging his ears. They jumped as she yelled at the screen.

"DIE YOU MOTHERFUCKER, DIE!!" she screamed, attacking yet another creature. She paused the game in mid swing, throwing down the controller and bawled into her knees.

Deidara flopped onto the cushion next to her, hesitantly putting his arms around her. She leaned into him, quivering. Tobi hugged the both of them. Sakura slumped over, exhausted from working all day. Deidara just about panicked. He didn't know what to do.

Yet, at the same time...he did.

He scooped her up bridal style, carrying her to her bed. He lay her down on her back, covering her with the blanket. Hidan was snickering in the doorway.

Their stay with Sakura would be a long one.

* * *

**I wish Fanfiction would let me tag more than two genres. I had to decide between humor and drama. I figured I'd be writing more humor than drama, so...yeah.**

**So just so you know, this is ALSO a drama fic.**

**:D**

**Hope you enjoyed that chapter!! Keep an eye out for chapter 12 of A Sense o Abandonment!!**

**Adios!**

**~China**


	3. Who's This?

**Ya fly as hell, swagga right, brown skin, poppin ya know just how to talk to me know just how I like it ya turnin' me on, turnin' me on, turnin' me on, now wait a minute lil busta you got one more time to feel on my booty better reckanize a lady that ain't the way ya do me ya turnin' me off, ya turnin' me off, ya turnin' me off, better reckanize a real woman!**

**Aaaaaaaah~!**

**Hello! China here. Bein' all stressed. I have only one month to read two books, compare them, and write a paper comparing and contrasting them for school.**

**And I learned my first day of school this year is Sep. 10th.**

**BLAH! I hate school.**

**But it will be my first year of high school. Freshman year. Fresh meat.**

**Oh god, you guys are gonna have to bear with my desperate cries for help when school starts.**

**Plus, my four closest friends all left for other schools.**

**Shit.**

**And one guy I was joking around with, and he took it seriously and won't talk to me anymore. It's really pissing me off.**

**I've decided to give Sakura a special skill in here. Maybe two. They will most likely be singing and dancing. But we'll just have to see, huh?**

**I'm starting to use 'un' and 'yeah' after my sentences. DEIDARA!!**

**DISCLAIMER: MasaKishi owns Naruto. I own MOST of the plot. Not sure who initially came up with Akatsuki being kittens.**

**RECAP: Sakura's decided to let the Akatsuki stay in her home, Sakura's mom died, and Deidara shows his gentle side. Let's continue, shall we?**

* * *

Sasori woke feeling the blood rushing through his veins. A feeling he still wasn't used to. After twenty years of being made of wooden parts, he'd forgotten. Who wouldn't?

He growled when he realized he was in the arms of his killer.

And human.

Shit! He had to get out of there. He struggled, hoping she didn't wake up. Luckily, she was a heavy sleeper. But her iron grip tightened, and for a moment, he could have sworn she was trying to kill him again.

His eyes softened, even if unnoticeable to the untrained eye, when he saw her tear streaked face. He quickly glanced around the room to see if anyone was watching. No one, good. He slowly, like slower-than-a-snail slowly, wiped her tears from her face.

It was then he realized how...attractive she was. Though her eyes were closed, he could still picture those emerald eyes, and looking into them was like falling into a green abyss. Her bubblegum tresses fell just over her lips.

What appealed to him the most was her monstrous strength. When they fought those three years ago, he was astonished when she cracked Hiruko's body, or when she repelled his blocks of iron sand. She was truly beautiful to him.

And he hated it.

He hated these emotions he got when he was revived. They made him weak.

He heard the door creak ever so slightly, and he jumped, falling off the bed. Sitting up, he realized it was only a draft from the window. Dawn was nearing Konoha, and movement could be heard if the window was opened more, and if you listened very, _very_ closely.

Itachi was waking up. Itachi always woke up first, but surprisingly made the most noise. Guess you can't judge people by appearance.

Itachi always made breakfast, first thing in the morning. Itachi tripped, dragging pots and pans down with him. This woke just about everyone in the house, Sakura not included. Working at the hospital all day, then crying her eyes out at home really took a toll on our little kunoichi.

Sasori stepped out, eyeing the controller Sakura had used the night before. He pulled open a drawer that happened to be filled with various games. One caught his eye, Call of Duty 5. He pulled it out, and eventually figured out how to get a game started.

He was utterly confused with the controller, but eventually got the hang of things. The gunshot sounds lured the rest of the Akatsuki out of the room they slept in, and they all gathered around to watch Sasori play.

~*~

Sakura rubbed her eyes when she heard faint gunshots. She threw the bedsheets lazily to the side and made her way to the couch. She flopped down next to Sasori, who was busy shooting at Nazi Zombies. She rolled her eyes as Sasori struggled, and died.

"Damn." he muttered. He glared at Sakura. "What, like you could do any better?" he challenged.

"Yes, I can. Hand over the controller."

Sasori did as she said. She loaded her game and immediately began hacking away at zombies with her bowie knife. Hidan nearly had an orgasm from all the gore.

Kisame glanced up at the clock. "Pinky, don't you have to be at work?" he said, right before poofing into an adorable feline.

She shook her head. "Day off."

**Poof.**

Meow. Times six.

Sasori, Pein, and Deidara remained human.

Sasori took to playing more Call of Duty, and Pein stalked off somewhere to be his creeper self. Sakura retreated to her room.

She scribbled furiously in a red diary decorated with black and white skulls and paint splatters.

When she was done, she snapped the book shut, undressing and hopping in the shower. She let the hot water droplets roll off her shoulders as she sighed in bliss.

Meanwhile, a certain blonde snuck in, swiping the diary from her bed and racing back to the couch. He flipped through the pages, stopping on the one she just wrote.

"Senpai, whatcha reading?" Deidara looked at his masked partner from over his shoulder.

"Sakura's diary." He said deviously with a devilishly crooked smile stretching across his jaw. Sasori and Hidan stopped playing video games, and the other members stopped watching to look at Deidara.

"Tobi will not take part in your silly games, Senpai! He will get beaten by Sakura-chan."

Deidara then began reading aloud.

**January 11th, 10:07 AM**

_Hello, old friend. Only friend._

_Since Ino and Hinata are in the hospital, and Naruto's gone training again, you're the only one I can turn to. Tenten is always busy, and Temari just never liked me. Kakashi's always busy with missions, that bastard Sasuke still hasn't come home...even Lee's abandoned me._

_And we all know Sai would only just add insult to injury.  
_

_It's probably cuz I'm so pathetic._

_And now mom's dead too. Just when I needed her most. Not that I'm blaming her or anything._

_But seriously, a box of kittens was on my doorstep a few days ago. Guess what? Turns out to be all the males of the Akatsuki with a curse on them. Their names are Pein, Sasori (yeah, the one I totally pwned. I was fucking BOSS), Tobi, Deidara, Hidan, Itachi (the one and only), Kisame, Zetsu and Kakuzu._

_And I can't believe I'm doing this, but...I'm letting them stay._

_Just for a little while, jeez calm down!_

_I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this whole situation. Not even sure why, or what drove me to let them live in my house for what could be two years!_

_Maybe it was for shits n' giggles._

_No, wait, I got it! It was so I could have the entire Akatsuki at my mercy! MWAHAHA!_

_Here's some things I learned about them._

_Itachi can cook. During said activity, he wears an apron. Not the frilly kind, just an apron._

_Kakuzu may look like he's in his late forties or early fifties, but he's really over ninety years old. Freaky!!!_

_Kisame has gills AND lungs. Impressive, I must say._

_Zetsu once had sex with a flower. Okay, so I made that one up. Fuck you. (I don't know much about Zetsu)_

_Pein has 74 piercings. He told me so. I counted about 31 on his ears and face...but I really don't wanna know where the other 43 are. (Ew, images)_

_Sasori was revived, and is human now. All my hard work, thrown out the window. And poor Elder Chiyo!_

_Tobi loves candy. But he eats alone. He never lets anyone see past his mask._

_Hidan gets off from violence. When I played Call of Duty 5, he pretty much came. Hard. As in writhing on the ground._

_Deidara is a bit of a mystery to me still. We don't talk or hang out much, cuz he's kinda mad at me for killing Sasori, or in his words, "Sasori no danna". I think we should try hanging out more often._

_So this morning, Itachi made breakfast. It. Was. ORGASMIC. His pancakes...I swear, he must put GOD in the batter._

_What I really don't understand about this whole situation is, why MY house? Funny thing is, they don't know either._

_I think the person I can really relate to is either Tobi, or, surprisingly, Pein. Tobi's just frekkin' cute, and Pein I can actually have a conversation with. That's pretty amazing, considering he's the stoic Leader of the Akatsuki. I love how Tobi speaks in third person. It's adorable. He reminds me so much of Naruto..._

_I wonder what will happen when the curse is gone from the Akatsuki. Will they still come after Naruto?_

_I guess only time will tell, huh?_

_Adios, tacos!_

_Sakura OUT_

"Woooow." was all Deidara could say when he finished. They all stared at each other before bursting out in laughter.

Even Pein laughed a little.

Before long, Deidara found himself reading more aloud. Entry after entry after entry. The gang was so caught up laughing, they didn't notice a dark aura coming from the bedroom.

Until it was too late.

"Deidaraaa..."

They froze. Slowly, their heads cranked around. There she was, cracking her knuckles. Soon, all but Tobi found themselves with swelling jaws. Sakura smiled at Tobi, who grinned behind his mask.

"Tobi told you!"

"Shut up, yeah..." Deidara whined, rubbing his sore face. He pulled out the water gun and proceeded to douse them all in water. They sighed, vowing never to read her Diary again. For the sake of their well-being.

Sakura came out a few minutes later, holding her Diary.

"What did you read?" she asked in a deadly tone. They all looked at Deidara, because it was his damn idea. Deidara proceeded to tell her about the entries on her team, her mission to Lightning, and the entry on themselves.

Sakura sighed.

"That's all?" Deidara hastily nodded. "Good." Deidara raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Those were the less important ones." she stated. Deidara sighed, squirting the gun again. Sakura grinned, running off. She came back, toting a large, heavy duty water gun and several water balloons.

"WATER WARS!!"

Tobi ran away laughing his Akatsuki head off, Deidara ran off to find more ammo. Hidan came straight at her, stealing her balloons. She countered by squirting him in the face. Hidan began distributing balloons to Sasori, Pein, Itachi and Kisame, who was right at home in all the water. Zetsu and Kakuzu attempted to grab Sakura's gun.

Sakura twisted and turned, avoiding vines and tentacle-string...things, while Hidan and Kisame began tossing balloons at her randomly. Sakura gasped when Kakuzu's tentacles grabbed a firm hold ofher water gun, ripping it from her.

Deidara and Tobi came from their hiding spots carrying more balloons and guns. They gave the others more guns and balloons so they were all well equipped.

They began bombarding her.

"Sto-op!" she begged. They only stopped when she began choking on water. They all watched as Sakura's chest heaved up and down. The worst part: Sakura was wearing a white tank top, through which you could see her lacy black bra.

Half of the men blushed heavily, and Tobi covered his eyehole.

"What's wrong, hm?" Deidara wondered. He then realized what everyone was staring at. His face flushed a deep red, and he turned away to hide the drool.

Sakura was confused as to why they were blushing and covering their eyes. Until she looked down, that is.

"PERVS!" she yelled, running into her room. She undressed, picking out a good outfit for playing in the snow. Long black jeans, a fuzzy pink sweater, black gloves, a white winter hat, tan faux fur boots, and a large, puffy white coat.

"SOMEONE COME OUTSIDE AND PLAY WITH ME IN THE SNOW. NOW!"

Tobi raced to the closet and grabbed a coat, her father's, and raced outside. Deidara glared at Tobi for no reason at all, then grabbed a coat and followed. Sasori decided 'what the hell.' He went outside too. Everyone else was lazy and stayed inside.

As soon as Sakura's glove touched the snow, it was on. Deidara and Tobi were pelted with snowballs, while Sasori sat in a chair away from them. Sakura hit Tobi with a snowball square in the face, almost knocking off the mask. But Tobi braced his mask with his hand, and retaliated by throwing a snowball...at Deidara.

"What the hell, un!?" he screamed.

"Tobi is sorry, Senpai! Tobi's snowball slipped from Tobi's hand!" he lied. Deidara gathered up a huge, tightly packed snowball, throwing it. A miniature war had begun between the two of them.

Sakura began gathering some snow to catch them off guard, but stopped when her gloved hand touched something soft. She caught a glimpse of fur sticking out of the snowy abyss. She began frantically digging, until she finally a blue kitten with a white right ear surfaced. She stuffed it inside her warm sweater.

"Deidara, Tobi, Sasori! Inside! Now!"

The snowball fight came to an abrupt end at her call. They looked to her, but only saw a door, swinging back anf forth on it's hinges.

Upon entering the house, Sakura realized that everyone but the three outside had reverted back to kittens.

"Deidara, light a fire. Sasori, get me a tub of hot water. Tobi, get me a towel and blanket."

The three sensed her urgent tone, and nodded.

Pein warily stepped forward, sniffing the foreign cat. His ears flattened against his head. Deidara had the fire going, and Tobi had returned with not only what she asked, but a pillow as well. Sasori was struggling with carrying the tub of water, until Deidara helped him.

Pein sniffed the cat again, and his eyes widened.

Sakura dipped the kitten into the water.

**Poof.**

There, laying in the tub, was a woman. Her deep blue hair ran just past her shoulders. Her eyes were pressed tightly shut in agony. Her toes and fingers were blue and purple from frostbite, and her lips were almost as blue as her hair.

"It's Konan, yeah!" Deidara exclaimed.

Pein meowed worriedly and ran off to find a water source.

"Who's Konan?"

"The only female member of the Akatsuki, yeah." Deidara frowned as Konan began to stir.

"P-pein?" she croaked out. Her throat was sore and scratchy.

"Don't talk." Sakura instructed as she began healing Konan's frostbite. Her chakra sent a warm, soothing feeling throughout Konan's body, and she sighed in relief. Pein came rushing back, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Konan!" he cried, holding the back of her head up gently. No one seemed to care in the least if she was naked or not. Sakura gingerly lifted the blue haired woman from the tub and wrapped a warm towel around her. She began rubbing her wutht he towel until she was dry, then wrapped her in the blanket and set her by the fire.

Konan struggled to sit upright, so Pein took the pillow and placed it on the floor, lowering her head to it. There, Konan fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Well, there you have it!**

**I'm sorry it took so long to update. The server for fanfic was always either down, or I was somehow not logged in, so I had to write about Konan approximately 5 times, over and over again.**

**What a pain.**

**Yes, there will be some PeinKonan in here.**

**Whether you like it or not.**

**And keep an eye out for chapter two of Ways to Get Pein Very Mad. I'm working on it.  
**

**Bye bye!**

**~China**


	4. Alive Again

**Oh my god. It's been so long since I've updated this story.**

**Well, a friend of mine who is a faithful and loyal reader of almost all my stories bluntly reminded me that I hadn't updated 'Biting Off More Than She Can Chew' for over a month.**

**A MONTH.**

**Good god, it's been too long! I actually had to read all the previous chapters so that I knew what was going on!**

**This sucks.**

**I think this story is by far my most popular. It's got almost as many reviews as 'A Sense of Abandonment' (SOA), and only about a third of the chapters. It kinda makes me sad. I originally made this story just for fun, and I wanted SOA to be my serious, dramatic, most popular story.**

**Beggars can't be choosers. But I do love all my precious stories. They are my babies. And little by little, my babies are growing up. Some faster than the others, that's all. Damn, that was deep.**

**Well, the same friend as before gave me one of the best ideas for this chapter ever. So I thank her for that, and I am dedicating this chappie to her. Here's to you, Bernadette!**

**I love the name Bernadette. It's awesome. And so is she.**

**Well, let's get this show on the road!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Naruto, but I think I'm getting to Masashi Kishimoto with my bribery.**

* * *

Sakura groaned exhaustedly, her head pounding with a strange ringing noise. It pulsed painfully, and she clutched her head until she realized it was the phone. With it's obnoxious ring. She angrily tossed the large down comforter off of her cold, tired body and made her way to the item that woke her from her dream. It had been ringing for quite a while now, and she hastily picked up the phone, less she want it to stop ringing.

"...Hello?" she croaked sleepily.

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice boomed. "I was beginning to wonder when you would pick up."

"Ugh...Tsunade-sama, you think you could be a little quieter? My head is killing me..."

"Sorry." she mumbled. "But anyway, I have urgent news!"

Sakura immediately perked up, nodding and making small 'm-hm' noises as her mentor spoke. Then, Sakura dropped the phone.

_She's...alive?_

The girl picked up the phone, rambling incoherent words into the device, then abruptly hung up, throwing on a coat. Sasori and Kisame woke to her short-heeled boots stamping around the room as she finished dressing. Sakura looked over her shoulder to check on them.

"I'll be right back!!"

**SLAM.**

The other Akatsuki, still in kitten form, woke from the racket. Pein was as curled around Konan as he could get himself, trying to keep her warm. The bright blue cat was shivering violently, her teeth chattering. If you could see beneath her fur, she would be deathly pale, skin ice cold to the touch.

"She's not getting any warmer..." Pein trailed off, frustrated. He mewed worriedly when her breathing drastically slowed and became labored. Deidara came closer and flanked her other side, her breathing returning to normal. Pein glanced gratefully at him, and more members began crowding around to help.

~*~

Sakura sprinted to the hospital. Her legs screamed for relief, but she gave them none. The hospital was quite a ways away from her apartment house, taking almost fifteen minutes if you ran without stopping.

Once she reached it, she bursts through the large doors and continued running until she reached Tsunade's office. Her heeled boots clacked on the linoleum floor, announcing her presence. Tsunade looked up a millisecond before Sakura kicked open the door and ran over to slam her palms down on the desk.

"What's going on!?" she yelled frantically. "How can she be alive!? I saw her..."

"Sakura, calm down." Tsunade soothed. "You sound almost upset that she's alive." Sakura snapped her head up, and green fire met hazel.

"I'm not upset! Just surprised..."

Tsunade and Sakura stared each other down for a good five minutes, completely silent. The wind blew in from the office's open windows, stirring the two womens' hair and throwing it playfully across their stern faces. Shizune was standing with her head bowed in grief for Sakura's mother. Tonton squealed sadly.

Finally, Sakura broke the silence.

"I...I want to see her..."

Tsunade's eyes softened, and she stood from her desk chair, and gripped Sakura's hand in her own.

"Come, then."

Shizune smiled and followed the two slug kunoichi to their destination. The room was all the way on the other side of the building. A wooden sign hung over the doorway of the room.

**Newborn Nursery**.

Sakura felt a lump in her throat as Tsunade pointed to a distincly different bed. She opened the door for Sakura, urging her to go inside. The lump in her throat grew larger, and she felt tears escaping her eyes, but then a two petite hands squeezed her fingers, and another rested on her back. She turned to look, and there was Ino, Hinata and Tenten. She didn't know when they arrived, but she was grateful she was not alone.

The three kunoichi walked silently into the room. Sakura breathed in the sweet smell that could only come from a newborn baby. All her life, she had dreamed of growing up, getting marrried, and having children in a happy home. I guess she could only have one for now.

When they reached the small bed surrounded by an unbreakable transparent plastic, Sakura felt the tears spill mercilessly and a whimper came from her throat.

Inside, lay her baby sister. Alive.

The girl had her mother and father's dark brown hair in beautiful curls. Her eyes were closed blissfully in sleep, and her eyelashes were long and dark, curving upward gently. Her pink lips were parted slightly, letting in the air she needed.

Ino cooed at the baby and Hinata and Tenten smiled down at the angelic being. Sakura gasped when the baby's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes were a deep blue, the same color as all newborn babies. They would reveal their true color soon.

The baby didn't cry or scream, of even whine. It just blinked, taking in the world. Sakura felt the tears instantly dry, and her cheeks were glowing with love for the child.

"She's beautiful..."

She reached into the bed, and the child grabbed into her fingers. Sakura stroked the baby's cheek softly, and this sent her sister back into dreamland.

"What will her name be?" Hinata said, not stuttering once.

Sakura stared at the baby, trying to decide the best possible name for her sister. She was beautiful, just like her mother, and strong. Her eyes were currently blue, and piercing.

But then, she opened her eyes again, and ringing the pupils was an olive green that reminded her of the lush trees that surrounded their village that her mother had loved dearly.

"Moriko."

Tenten blinked. "Child of the forest?"

Sakura nodded.

Tenten, Hinata and Ino stared into the baby's eyes and saw the hint of green. That paired with her tree-bark brown hair, she truly looked from the forest.

"It's perfect."

~*~

"Tobi wonders what's taking Sakura-chan so long."

The Akatsuki were huddled around a no longer shivering Konan, near the fire. The others were secretly thinking the same thing. The few kittens that weren't huddled around Konan, being Deidara, who had switched with another, Kakuzu, and Itachi, began searching for a sufficient water source. All the faucets seemed to be frozen up from the weather, and none of them could find a source of water.

Deidara was searching in the bathroom, and the sink was frozen. The bath knob was far too difficult to be turned by himself, so nothing seemed of use. Until he saw the tiniest drip of water from the pipe underneath the sink. He sniffed at the puddle it made. Not very clean, but good enough. He began rolling himself in the puddle, and soon, a cloud of white smoke engulfed him, and he was human.

He began searching for clothes, which there seemed to be none of. At least, none of his gender. He found two closets in the living room. All the clothes were either female ninja attire or something that seemed like lolita that's never been worn.

Sakura had Lolita?

He'd _definitely_ have to ask her to try it on for him. He rifled through the racks of frills, finding Gothic, Sweet, Qi, Punk, Kuro, Hime, Sailor, Wa, even Guro Lolita. It was like a sacred closet of Lolita! His hand brushed against a black and gold Qi Lolita dress that reached down to her knees, with slits up both thighs to the hip, and a very large diamond shaped patter cut from the chest to reveal cleavage. Oh, how he'd _love_ to see Sakura in this. He may not like her very much, but she was still sexy as hell!

It was then that he heard distinct footsteps coming down the hallway. He stopped, and listened closely. He sensed six chakra signals. He heard six voices, all female...but there was an odd, giddy tone to them that he couldn't distinguish. He then mentally slapped himself in the face for not realizing he should be hiding. He tossed his head back and forth, trying to find a good hiding place better than her Lolita closet, but the other closets were stuffed full of things, and there was no 'under the bed.'

Lolita closet it is.

He stuffed himself into the closet between a shamefully short, black lacy sailor fuku and a knee length punk dress. Just in time, too. The little click of the key unlocking the door sounded through the apartment, and Sakura along with six other kunoichi stumbled into the room.

From what he could see, Sakura was carrying a bundle in her arms, gazing down at it adoringly. A girl who looked disgustingly similar to himself was following closely behind, snapping pictures back and forth. A girl with soft lavender eyes and long indigo hair immediately found her way to Sakura's room, and he heard things clattering on the ground. Not long after, a kunoichi, that looked surprisingly familiar, with dirty blonde hair tied in four short ponytails came in carrying bags full of bottles and clothes. The last two were carrying a bed with bars on it. One had chocolate brown hair in two buns, and the last had long blonde hair in pigtails...not to mention she had a huge rack!

Wait a second...a bed with bars on it? The only time he ever saw those was when someone had a...baby.

So that's what was in Sakura's arms! Had Sakura been pregnant before they came to her home? Who was the father!?

Sakura soon began to remove the many layers of blankets and rags from the child. Deidara took note of the girl's features. Tiny brown curls adorn her head, and her big, shining olive green eyes weren't too far from Sakura's jade-emerald. It was _definitely_ hers. But the father?

He only knew of a few people in Konoha that had brown hair. One was that captain of hers, Yama-something. But he was almost as old as her sensei, Kakashi, so that sort of ruled him out.

Then there was that dog boy. What was it...Kiba? Yeah, Kiba. He was a possibility.

And there was another, one that worked with bugs. But Sakura freaked out the other day over a moth, so that definitely counted him out. Who else in Konoha had brown hair?

He gasped. What if they didn't live in Konoha!? Could it be that Kankurou boy!?

Meanwhile, Ino caught sight of the kittens, and turned to snap pictures of them as well.

"Sakura, I didn't know you had so many kitties!" Sasori's pupils waned at the bright light and he blinked to regain his sight properly. She turned away from the red cat to Hidan and Kakuzu, who growled at her.

"These two look familiar..." Ino said, thoughtfully stroking her chin. The kittens stiffened, and if cats could sweat, they would be drenched. Ino's eyes widened, and she snapped her fingers. "That's it! These two look like those Akatsuki guys that...killed Asuma-sensei..."

Temari came out from the kitchen to examine said group of kittens. She picked up Sasori and stared for a long while.

"And this one reminds me of that red headed guy who kidnapped my brother." she said, trying desperately to recall his name. "So...Sa...Sasuri?" She looked at Sakura for his name.

"Close, it's Sasori." Sakura corrected. "And wasn't it the blonde who kidnapped Gaara?"

The thoughts going through Deidara's head all consisted of _'OH SHIT.'_

"You're right, it was that blonde." she said, nodding at Sakura. "_His_ name, I remember. Deidara."

Tsunade chuckled to herself. "Wow, it's like all the Akatsuki are in cat form right now." she said, flipping back a blonde pigtail from her shoulder. All the cats and Sakura tensed.

Tsunade had _no_ idea how right she was.

"...except Deidara isn't here." Tsunade said. They relaxed a bit.

Sakura looked around, realizing Deidara was indeed missing.

"I actually do have another one. He would actually fit Deidara's description quite well." Sakura yelled from across the room, just quiet enough to keep from waking Moriko.

Deidara was snapped from his thoughts when he heard the girls calling 'Goldie' and 'here, kitty kitty...'. The girl with buns in her hair looked at the Lolita closet, and grinned like the cheshire cat.

"Sakura, maybe he got into your _Lolita Closet_."

Sakura blushed cherry red to her ears, hoping to god that he hadn't. That closet was the most embarrassing thing in the world, filled with short sailor fuku and even a nurse outfit or two. She had no idea where she got them, or why she even had them at all, but she did. She only wore a few of them, and never in front of a man. Deidara would never stop teasing her about it.

Deidara heard the blonde girl's light footsteps coming closer, and he began to panic. She was standing less than a ten feet from the door now...

Oh god.

Five feet...

Please, anything to keep him a secret.

One...

Anything!!!

**Poof.**

God seemed to have heard his desperate pleas, and he was changed back into his adorable kitten form. He sighed in relief, and silently vowed never to revert back to his human form without Sakura home. He skittered between the blonde's feet and raced over to Sakura, pretending to be a loving cat and rubbed against her legs.

"AWWWW!!!" Ino squealed, much like the pig she was. The other girls saw his display of affection toward the pink haired girl, and saw this as extremely adorable. Sakura turned beet red, wishing Deidara would stop.

Sasori wished he would stop too.

Sasori hissed and snarled at the golden cat, his fur bristling and his back arched. Deidara sprung back, hissing as well. Sasori spat at his former partner, and the fight was on. Fur was shredded, screeches of pain echoed through the apartment. Sakura was thoroughly annoyed.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" she bellowed.

Unfortunately, her shouting woke Moriko. Sakura immediately went to her sister's aid, hushing and lulling her into a peaceful sleep. Tsunade came in, and did a quick once-over on Moriko, to make sure she was stabilized completely.

"Well, Sakura, she's as healthy as can be. Just feed her the formula every three to four hours, and she'll be fine." her master assured her, patting her lovingly on the back. Sakura sighed, stroking the sleeping baby's cheek. Tsunade looked back and forth between the two.

"Sakura, what are you going to tell her?" she asked.

"What?"

"Well, when she's older, she's going to have questions regarding her mother." Tsunade quipped. Sakura froze. She never thought of that. "I mean, are you just going to tell her the truth?"

Sakura thought. She didn't want to think of her mother.

Sakura never saw herself as a mother, either. She was never very good with children, though they seemed to like her well enough. She always saw herself meeting her end in the field before she could ever seriously consider becoming a mother. Fate had different plans for her.

"I'll be her mother."

Tsunade was shocked, _dumbfounded_ is more like it, when she heard Sakura's answer. Sakura continued.

"I will not be known as her sister. She will call me Okaa-san." she explained, taking in a deep breath. "She doesn't need to know that her mother died."

Deidara was listening again. _'So she's _not_ the mother? She's her sister?'_

Sakura took in a deep breath, trying to hold in the tears. Success. Tsunade saw her struggle, and saw it a good time to leave.

"Ino, Temari, Hinata, Tenten. Let's go." The four kunoichi nodded, and hopped out Sakura's window. Tsunade put a gentle hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Good luck."

~*~

The next morning, Sakura's mother's funeral was held. The Akatsuki watched with pity was she dressed herself in a black coat with her black gloves she always wore. Her black skirt would let the cold in, but her thick black leggings and leg warmers kept her warmer, to a degree. She wore black kitten heels, a pair her mother had bought her.

Konan was now awake, and questioned why her savior was so depressed. Pein promised to explain to her later. Before leaving, she asked one of the cats to change back and watch over Moriko. Konan, who seemed to stay human the longest, agreed.

Sakura left her apartment, desperately holding back the tears. _'Here comes the waterworks...'_ she sighed mentally.

When she arrived, Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade, Ino, and the whole gang was there.

Tsunade placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and Sakura took her place beside her mentor.

"We are gathered here today...to honor a great kunoichi."

~*~

"Pein." Konan said from the kitchen. Moriko was peacefully asleep, with the other kittens watching over her until Konan was finished preparing the child's bottle. Pein appeared beside her.

"Yes, Konan?"

She hesitatedly asked, "Who's child is that?"

"She would be Sakura's mother's child, or her sister."

Konan nodded. "I understand. But what I don't understand is...why would her mother leave her newborn child, burdening her eldest child with the responsibility?" she said with slight annoyance in her tone. Pein's eyes flickered with pity and understanding.

"Sakura's mother has recently passed away." Pein informed her. "According to Sakura, she died giving birth to the child, and it was a stillborn. Somehow, it survived."

Konan looked at Pein, then her eyes darted to the baby in the crib, which was just barely visible from their position.

"Intriguing..." Konan trailed off as the child began to whimper in her sleep, which soon grew to cries and Konan scooped Moriko in her arms, popping the bottle in her mouth. At first, Moriko struggled, and just seemed to juggle the teat with her tongue, but she eventually got the idea and tiny suckling noises could be heard. Kisame was watching carefully, just in case he was entrusted with caring for her in Sakura's absense.

"Wow, Konan. I never would have thought you'd be good with kids," he said, grinning.

Konan ignored the comment and continued to observe Moriko. She was a beautiful child, eyes much resembling Sakura's, and seemed to love the fresh air that rolled in through the cracked open window.

Deidara was watching silently in the sidelines, not mewing a single word. He had promised himself that he would not turn back into a human until Sakura was home, and there were NO other Konoha shinobi in the residence. And he had absolutely nothing to do. But hey! The way Sasori acted earlier...

"Oi, Sasori no Danna!" he yowled. The red feline's ears twitched in his direction, but his gaze never once hit the other cat.

"What the hell was with the way you attacked me yesterday, hm?" he said, doing his best to sound accusing, when he was inwardly laughing his whiskers off.

"Well, what the hell was with the way you cuddled up to that girl, _hm_?" Sasori retorted, mocking Deidara's accent. Deidara ignored the snide comment.

"Seemed to me, danna, you were _jealous_."

"Th-that's ridiculous!!" Sasori snarled at his former partner, swiping a paw at him with claws unsheathed. Deidara dodged expertly, and took note of the fact that his voice didn't sound sure at all. Deidara was quite sure that his danna was indeed jealous, and a bit protective.

But he was done ticking off Sasori for the day.

He turned to make his way to Sakura's bedroom, letting at least Tobi know where he was going. Konan just barely removed her gaze from Moriko to glance at him, but then returned all her attention to the child in her arms. He was incredibly sleepy, and he guessed it came with being a cat. He curled up on the largest, softest, comfiest pillow he could find, and began to knead it with his paws.

And he fell asleep.

~*~

_Sakura was laying on the couch on her stomach, thumbing through a large book that had tiny print and way too many big words. The kind of thing Deidara hated most. She should focus on something much less boring._

_Like him._

_So he skittered away to find a clean source of water in the bathtub, covered himself in it, then got out of the tub. He checked himself in the mirror. If he was a woman, he'd probably be drooling at himself._

_His entire body was covered in water. His sexy six pack glistened in the light, and his chest shined. His arms were the perfect balance of muscular and thin, and he covered himself in the shortest towel available. His long hair trailed down his back and tiny rivulets of water dripped from the ends. He grinned at himself in the mirror._

_It was time to seduce Sakura._

_He calmly walked out of the bathroom and made his way to the living room. She didn't glance up from her book. But she would soon. He would_ make _her._

_He didn't utter a single word, but his hair dripped onto the pages of her book. She tore her gaze away from her precious readings, and when she looked up, she couldn't look back down. There he was, wet, beautiful...naked. Sakura was barely wearing anything herself, settling with a tank top, no bra, and some scandilously short shorts, showing off her luscious curves. She suddenly got goosebumps up and down her arms, and the hairs on her neck stood on end._

_Everything in her head told her to get out of there, fast. But her body said stay._

_Suddenly, Deidara was sitting next to her on the couch, massaging her shoulders and freeing them of those knots she would only get from late night paperwork filing with Shizune while Tsunade sat on her ass and drank sake._

_He began to massage lower, and lower on her back, until he reached her hips. He rubbed them, ghosting his fingers over her sensitive skin so that it almost tickled. It sent waves of shock through her body._

_Deidara smirked, and flipped the girl over. She blushed heavily as he leaned almost on top of her, watching her face for reactions. He smirked at her, and used his index and middle fingers to slowly pull down Sakura's shorts. She was wearing the same black, lacy panties she had been before. He lightly traced the tiny wisps of lace with his finger, and brushed over a sensitive area just above her thigh that made her tense up and hitch her breathing._

'Found it...' _he thought to himself, and decided to...experiment._

_He placed his palm directly over the hotspot, and smirked devilishly. Sakura looked at him, confused, but then squealed as she felt the tongues on his palms glossing over those spots. Deidara smirked, and continued his teasing._

_He removed his hands, and then blew air on the small trails of wetness that he left behind. Sakura drew a quick breath through her clenched teeth, breathing heavily._

_"Sakura..." he purred into her ear, sending shivers down her spine and increasing her blush ten fold. "...I want you."_

_As he said those words, his hand was moving further and further south._

_His fingers were about to slip underneath her panties, and-_

~*~

Deidara's eyes flew open as the door slammed. Sakura must be home. The sweat from his dream had provided enough moisture to transform his back human.

But forget that, did he _seriously_ just have a wet dream with Sakura in it? With _Sakura_ in it!?

No, he couldn't!

He didn't care if he was just lusting over her, he couldn't be doing this! She killed Sasori! It didn't matter if it was _only_ lust! It shouldn't be anything at all!

Was he really...

_'Oh, god, **no**. Please, no!'_

Too late.

"...why?" he muttered, subconciously, out loud. He flinched when something in his pants twitched.

Dare he look down?

Sure enough, a large bulge in the sheets revealed to the world that he, Deidara of the Akatsuki, missing nin of Iwagakure...

...had a hard-on.

He peeked out the door to make sure it was really Sakura, and sure enough she was there...in the same outfit she wore in his dream, that pair of short shorts and a tank top.

"S-s-sakura, I'm g-g-g-gonna use your sh-sh-shower!!" he stuttered. She looked up from her book and nodded. He bolted for her shower and turned it on full blast on cold. Ice cold. He hastily stepped in, and flinched, squeaking a bit. It was so cold, it _burned_.

But at least it got rid of his embarrassing bulge.

God, he needed help.

After finally clearing the images of his dream from his mind, he stepped out, grabbed a towel, and looked down. Erection gone. Good.

...

...

He had the sudden urge to blow up a mountain with his clay.

* * *

**Well, there you have it! Finally updating, after almost two whole months!!**

**I was beginning to think I would never get this chapter done.**

**It took bloody for_ever_.**

**Well, school is killing me. I have to keep up with my grades, manage a volleyball team, almost by myself I might add, and cook dinner when I get home.**

**STRESS.**

**But you'll be proud to know that yours truly got an A+ in Algebra class, and B's in all other subjects.**

**Be proud, dammit!!**

**And be happy that I'm finding enough time to write this with all the work i have to do!!**

**Sorry, I'm ranting.**

**And yes, this is still T rated. I didn't really include any sexual...stuff. Just a little teasing...**

**Ok, that's a LITTLE sexual, but not enough to be a lemon quite yet.**

**Let me know if you guys want lemons in here!**

**Love you all!!**

**~China**


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